As shown in FIGS. 6A, 6B and 6C, a digital camera has a battery compartment 3 provided inside a casing 1 for storing a battery 8. A coil spring 5 is provided at the bottom of the battery compartment 3 that causes the battery 8 inside the battery compartment 3 to be spring-biased in a direction of ejection.
A lock lever 41 is pivotally supported on the casing 1 in a position near the opening for the battery compartment 3. The lock lever 41 is capable of moving back and forth between a locking position in which the battery 8 is locked as shown in FIG. 6C, and a lock releasing position in which the lock of the battery 8 is released as shown in FIG. 6B. The lock lever 41 is spring-biased in a direction from the lock releasing position to the locking position.
In this digital camera, when the battery compartment 3 shown in FIG. 6A receives the battery 8 to be installed therein as shown in FIG. 6B, an end of the battery 8 presses the lock lever 41, so the lock lever 41 pivotally rotates from the locking position to the lock releasing position. In this condition, the battery 8 is inserted into the battery compartment 3. The battery 8 is pressed further into the back portion of the battery compartment 3 against the coil spring 5. As a result, the lock lever 41 under spring bias pivotally rotates from the lock releasing position to the locking position as shown in FIG. 6C, thereby locking the battery 8.
Thereafter a cover body (not shown) for opening and closing the battery compartment 3 of the casing 1 is closed to complete the processing.
As discussed above, the process necessary for the installation of the battery 8 in the battery compartment 3 of the casing 1 includes pressing the battery 8 placed in the condition shown in FIG. 6B in the manner stated above to lock the battery 8 by the lock lever 41 as shown in FIG. 6C, and closing the cover body thereafter. When an attempt is made to close the cover body with the battery 8 not being pressed into the back portion of the battery compartment 3 as shown in FIG. 6B, the inner surface of the cover body presses the battery 8. This also causes the lock lever 41 to pivotally rotate from the lock releasing position to the locking position, thereby allowing the installation of the battery 8.
This case however requires the cover body to press the battery into its end position of movement in the back portion of the battery compartment. Thus, the cover body held in a closed position receives reaction force exerted by the battery. As a result, strain may be exerted on an engaging structure for holding the cover body in a closed position, so the engaging structure may be damaged with long-term use.
In response to the case where an attempt is made to close the cover body with the battery not being pressed into the back portion of the battery compartment, there has been suggested a structure in which a protrusion provided to the cover body is received by the lock lever to prevent the cover body from being completely closed.
However, the structure for preventing the cover body from being completely closed by receiving a protrusion provided to the cover body by the lock lever fails to take a convenient way of battery installation in which the battery is pressed into the back portion to be locked by the closing of the cover body. This hence results in the loss of convenience.